Hockey Slang

Bar down – A shot that hits the horizontal crossbar at the top of the net and goes in. A very precise and impressive goal.

Dust – A player who’s inexperienced, clumsy, or “not good” at hockey.

Dangle / Deke – A slick move with the puck to fake out or “break” an opponent, similar to making a defender look foolish in basketball.

Gino – A goal! “He scored a gino!”

Five-hole – The space between a goalie’s legs. Shooting there can lead to an easy goal.

Cherry-pick – Staying near the opponent’s goal waiting for an easy pass or scoring chance.

Hat trick – Scoring three goals in a single game. Sometimes fans throw hats on the ice to celebrate.

Beauty / Beauty goal – A really nice, skillful goal. “What a beauty!”

Biscuit – The puck. “He shot the biscuit into the net!”

Bender – A player with poor skating skills; wobbly or off-balance.

Twine – The net. “He ripped it top twine!”

Poke check – Using your stick to knock the puck away from an opponent.

Wraparound – A move where a player skates behind the net and quickly tries to score on the other side.

Chirp / Chirping – Trash-talking on the ice.

Board / Boarding – Hitting a player dangerously into the boards (this is actually a penalty).

Power play – When your team has more players on the ice due to an opponent’s penalty.

Penalty kill (PK) – The team with fewer players on the ice trying to prevent a goal.

Duster – Similar to “dust,” a weak or ineffective player.

Sauce / Saucer pass – A pass where the puck is lifted slightly off the ice to get over a stick or obstacle.

Gong show – A chaotic game or situation.